"Chateaugay’s Founders: Nathan Beman and Benjamin Roberts" Exhibit

Coming Soon | Opening May 10th, 2025

During 2025, the Chateaugay Historical Society will be honoring our community’s founders, Nathan Beman and Benjamin Roberts, both veterans of the American Revolution.

The pair first came here in the summer of 1795 when they were part of a survey party that was tasked with laying out the Great Lots of Township No. 7. They were impressed with the wilderness here and both returned the next year with their families and became the first settlers in Chateaugay, which was first known as “Four Corners”.

May 10th, 2025, will be an eventful day for Chateaugay as we celebrate even more of its unique and colorful history.

If you can, please join us for any or all the events on that day: the kiosk dedication, the reception, the exhibit opening, and the debut of our local Heritage Trail.

Opening Day Schedule of Events- May 10th

  • 10:00am -10:30am: Opening Ceremony @ Historic Kiosk, Chasm Road
    A short dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony will open the newly completed information kiosk at the Nathan Beman Homestead Site on the Chasm Road (County Route 35), approximately .2 miles from Route 11. The dedication events will be less than 30 minutes long. No seating or restrooms will be provided. Attendees are welcome to bring a chair if desired. In the event of inclement weather, the kiosk will be opened with a ceremony in the theater on the first floor of the Town Hall at 191 East Main Street.

    This new kiosk has been placed at a significant location from Chateaugay's earliest history.The dedication ceremony will also acknowledge the role Nathan Beman played in the American takeover of Fort Ticonderoga from the British on May 10, 1775, exactly 250 years ago.

  • 10:30am - 12:00pm: Light Reception @ Chateaugay Town Hall
    The formal ribbon-cutting and opening of the Beman kiosk will be followed by a light reception in the Public Meeting Room on the second floor of the Chateaugay Town Hall. Coffee, other drinks, and pastries will be provided.

  • 10:30am - 12:00pm: Open Exhibit @ Archival Center
    Adjacent to the reception in the Public Meeting Room, the Society’s Archival Center will be open as we debut our Summer 2025 exhibit: “Chateaugay’s Founders: Nathan Beman and Benjamin Roberts”.
  • New Project Unveiling: A Heritage Trail in Chateaugay

    In addition to the kiosk and exhibit openings on May 10th, we will also be unveiling our newest major project: A Heritage Trail in Chateaugay.

    The Society has identified 66 locations within the Town and Village of Chateaugay which have historic significance for our community. These locations include: 30 historic markers, 22 other structures and sites, along with 14 local cemeteries and burial grounds.

    On May 10th, we will debut our newest publication, 130-page full-color book which encompasses all 66 significant sites in Chateaugay. This guide to our local Heritage Trail is complete with maps, photos and illustrations, and a history for each of the locations. Printed copies will be available for purchase at the Archival Center.

    In addition to the printed book, the Heritage Trail information will also be available via a QR code found on all of the historic markers. This will allow phone and tablet users to utilize an on-line version of the complete Heritage Trail book.

    Using either the printed or electronic versions, anyone interested in Chateaugay’s history may do a self-guided driving tour of all these sites within our town.

    If you prefer to walk, the 32 markers and sites within the village lend themselves to an enjoyable walking tour. The 34 sites outside the village limits would still await the driving portion of your Heritage Trail experience.

    2025 Summer Season

    The kiosk, the Heritage Trail book, and our summer exhibit will all be open and available beginning on May 10th. After the formal openings that day, the kiosk and Heritage Trail will be permanently available anytime for those wishing to explore Chateaugay’s past. Our summer exhibit: “Chateaugay’s Founders: Nathan Beman and Benjamin Roberts” will be open in the Archival Center every Wednesday and Saturday morning (9am until noon) from May 10 through September 27, 2025.

    We hope to see you there!


    Past Exhibits

    If you would like to explore our past exhibits, select the "Exhibits" button below to explore them - panel by panel - in a photo album.

    EXHIBITS

    Calendar of Events